Farmers and all key players of the agricultural industry from the provinces of Cordillera, together with the Benguet 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), continue to show acts of kindness and compassion to the community through the program “Bayanihan Pakdaw” which means to give freely.
The “Bayanihan Pakdaw” program was initiated by former Force Commander and Police Lieutenant Colonel (2021) Benson Mac-liing. Meanwhile, the present Force Commander, Police Lieutenant Colonel Rafael H. Tayaban, maintains the program.
Bayanihan Pakdaw’s purpose
The program aims to share vegetables given by the farmers to the different parts of Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Tuba and Tublay (BLISTT).
Patrolman Kiervin Alzate shared that this activity is a way to dispose of the unsold vegetables due to low prices. With this, the farmers feel better rather than throwing it away.
“Maraming mga gulay noon na hindi nabebenta ng mga farmers, kaya yung mga farmers kami yung pinupuntahan para kami ang mag-distribute, kaya sa farmers tayo nagpapasalamat sa mga gulay na binibigay nila (There are many vegetables unsold by the farmers, so they are coming to us to distribute the vegetables. We really should thank the farmers for their vegetable donations),” Alzate explained.
He also added that they distribute different varieties of vegetables, such as carrots, radishes, and onions, specifically in schools, tourist spots, and barangays.
Through this program, giving has been a remarkable tool in strengthening the community’s culture of giving and oneness.
Moreover, aside from the farmers, disposers, and buyers are also dependable contributors to vegetables.
Mildred Licangan, human resource officer of BAPTC, stated that various disposers and buyers voluntarily give away vegetables when needed, such as when calamities happen or if the prices of vegetables are low.
“Nu ada iti calamities nga nangyari, wenu nababa iti price ti vegetables ket umay da agpa pa announce ditoy BAPTC management paging area nga ada iti nateng nga mabalin ipadawat (If there are calamities happened, or when the price of vegetables is low, they will ask the BAPTC paging area to announce that there are vegetables available to give away),” Licangan explained.
She also elaborated that this act of generosity among the stakeholders and the police officers is a good practice that must be nurtured to promote and introduce our identity as Igorots.
Licangan added that “Napintas nga ma-establish nga maging practice tayo as Igorots ta ipakita tayo nga ti generosity ket part iti kultura tayo, this is to promote our tribe as Igorots ta maikat djay prejudice kanyatayo (It is good to establish this practice to show that generosity is an integral part of our culture to eliminate prejudice in our identity).”
Police officers’ initiatives to promote generosity
The efforts of the police officers show how they value the community’s concerns.
Police Corporal Celson Sad-ayan stressed that this was implemented amidst COVID-19 to distribute excess vegetables around Benguet to lessen the burden on the locals.
“Nagrugi daytoy idi COVID-19, ket idi Covid, restricted iti garaw ti tao, so ti ikastami tapno malessen ti burden ti ta-tao, dakami ti mangidanon ti basic services tapno at least makatulong kami (This started during COVID-19 where there were a lot of restrictions. To lessen the burden on the residents, what we do to help is to provide basic services),” Sad-ayan said.
Message to the farmers
Sad-ayan further expressed his appreciation to the farmers, “Para kadagidiyay farmers tayo, anus-anus lang, kasta iti biyag. Talaga nga bumagsak ken ngumato iti presyo ngem an-anusan tayo ta isu ti pagbiyagan tayo ditoy (To our farmers, have patience despite the unstable price of vegetables because it is our source of livelihood).”
On the other hand, an elderly tourist from Cavite who received free vegetables also showed her gratitude, “Nanggaling pa kami ng Cavite, maganda at naabutan namin itong ganitong pamimigay ng mga gulay. Nagpapasalamat kami at may ganitong programa ang mga police [lalo na] sa mga farmers kasi sila ang nagbigay ng mga ito,” she expressed. By Vanessa Padsingan
